frustrating

adjective

frus·​trat·​ing ˈfrə-ˌstrā-tiŋ 

: causing feelings of anger and annoyance : tending to produce or characterized by frustration

a frustrating delay

a very frustrating experience

Mischel concludes that having the willpower to wait isn't about being stoic. It's about learning techniques that make waiting less frustrating.

—Pamela Druckerman

frustratingly adverb

a frustratingly slow process

The book is sprawling and self-indulgent. Most frustratingly, it is almost entirely devoid of serious military analysis.

—Hew Strachan

Synonyms of frustrating

• annoying
• irritating
• disturbing

Examples of frustrating in a Sentence

All these delays have been very frustrating.

these daily traffic jams are frustrating

Recent Examples on the Web

Those are frustrating questions to still have about a fifth-year player, but Sorsby could generate some first-round sizzle with a clean 2026 season. —Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

Few things in gardening can be more frustrating than discovering that your favorite plants have been damaged by animals. —Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026

These moments feel unnecessary and frustrating, especially when the stakes are so low. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026

The story was plodding, the characters frustrating, and the transitions through time poorly executed. —Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frustrating

• abating
• awaiting
• berating
• castrating
• chelating
• collating
• conflating
• creating
• debating
• deflating
• derating
• dictating

Kids Definition

frustrating

adjective

: producing frustration

a frustrating delay

frustratingly adverb